“The heterosexuals are making us into a business”

From my fieldnotes (Kampala, 2015).

We are sitting in our usual spot. Except today the group is larger.

███ comes about five minutes after I get there. Still wearing what he was wearing to work today. He sat down ordered a beer and started talking about corruption in Uganda — and how the LGBT community was allocated 2 million dollars for programming and he suspects that it is being stolen. The organization in charge of allocating the money is The AIDS Support Organization (TASO), — where I interned for three months and have an ongoing research project. — I know from participant observations that almost everyone working at the Mulago branch is homophobic and transphobic.

“Our people are suffering. They are being fucked without condoms because the need survival.”

He looked disgusted and took another sip of beer.

███ sat back a said, “The heterosexuals are making us into a business!”

We all laughed.

He continued talking about how they have learned how to get money — to get funding as if they support LGBTI programming. But when the funding comes they “eat it.”

███ went on to critique the way the West implements aid by saying, “the west and America implements aid in a militaristic way.”

I found this critique unique — and I plan to probe further. He implied that the US/western donors just bulldozes into everything leaving everything messed up in the process.

The conversation took a turn when ███ said that “what we lack in this community is real allies.”

███ agreed. And added something I have heard before from ███ — especially around the organizing of Pride this year.

“We need more ‘out’ people. Me, I like those outings. I like them publishing in the papers. Visibility is good!”

His eyes grew big, and he grinned. He looked over towards ███ who was just smiling and shaking his head — acknowledging the outlandish statement as a joke instead of something serious.

The conversation ended with talking about having Pride on the streets of Kampala next year — a sentiment I have heard repeated on numerous occasions and by numerous people. They talked about getting tired of having interviews with muzungus — and how “they come for three months, leave and then are considered experts with an office at the UN.” Something else I have heard often — just in different words.